Want this as a printable cheat sheet?
Download the Costa Rican Slang PDF here 🇨🇷

Want to practice learning the words?
You can learn this list of Costa Rican Slang here


Costa Rican Spanish is cheerful, relaxed and incredibly friendly — just like the people 🇨🇷

Costa Ricans (costarricenses) tend to:

They’re also famously polite.

In Costa Rica, people often use:

even with:

which can feel surprisingly formal at first.

Costa Ricans are affectionately known as:

This nickname comes from their habit of using:

instead of:

for diminutives.

For example:

instead of:

meaning:

And of course…

No discussion of Costa Rican Spanish is complete without:

Literally:

But in Costa Rica, this phrase can mean almost anything:

It perfectly captures Costa Rica’s laid-back approach to life 🌴

Let’s take a look at some more Costa Rican slang 👇

One of the most common Costa Rican slang words.

You’ll hear:

constantly.

e.j Mae, ¿todo bien?
Dude, all good?

e.j Ese mae es buena gente
That guy’s cool

Pronounced:

One of the most iconic Costa Rican expressions.

e.j ¡Qué tuanis tu camisa!
Your shirt’s awesome!

Very common in everyday speech.

e.j Tengo mucho brete
I have a lot of work

e.j Estoy breteando
I’m working

The ultimate vague word 😂

Can refer to almost anything.

e.j Pásame ese chunche
Pass me that thing

A conversational filler word similar to:

e.j Diay, no sé
Well, I don’t know

The currency in Costa Rica is:

Costa Ricans have lots of slang for money amounts 👇

Very common across Latin America.

Called:

because the bill is red 🔴

e.j Me costó un rojo
It cost me 1000 colones

Named after the bird printed on the bill 🐦

Very common Costa Rican verb.

e.j Ya jalo
I’m heading out

e.j Jalaron temprano
They left early

Used romantically 😏

e.j Tengo una goma terrible
I’ve got a terrible hangover

Another super versatile word.

e.j ¡Qué vara!
What a pain!

e.j Esa vara no sirve
That thing doesn’t work

Very common way to describe someone’s vibe.

e.j Ese mae es buena nota
That guy’s cool

e.j ¡Suave, mae!
Wait dude!

e.j Suave un toque
Hold on a sec

Used when someone feels:

e.j Estoy agüevado
I’m feeling down

e.j Qué agüevada lo del partido
What a bummer about the match

Very common expression of excitement.

e.j ¡Qué chiva tu carro!
Your car’s awesome!

I’ve never been to Costa Rica, but I’ve heard exceptional things.

If there’s one phrase to learn, it’s definitely this one👇

¡Pura vida! 🌴

If you want any support on your Spanish journey, message me.

Or check out the free grammar videos on my Youtube channel.

Un abrazo,

Harrison


Language for living, not just learning